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What Esterbrook?

Searcher1970

By Searcher1970
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Searcher1970 Dipped Only

Searcher1970

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For my first pen I've decided to go vintage rather than new. They just suit me better. It seems that Esterbrook's are well liked and most don't cost a small fortune. Are there any paticular models I should look for or avoid? I'm a total newbie when it comes to fountain pens.

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kestrel Collectors Item

kestrel

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A basic "J" model is a good starting point. Study up on the nibs to see what suits you. A NOS 2668 nib will introduce you to Estie nibs at a low price. The 9668 nib is the same basic idea but has tipping and writes better. Study the nibs available and pick one that suits you. Anderson Pens has a good selection and a lot of reference material.

 

Be forewarned. Esties are addictive.

Dave Campbell
Retired Science Teacher and Active Pen Addict
Every day is a chance to reduce my level of ignorance.

fpn_1425200643__fpn_1425160066__super_pi

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

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I like the J series pens, especially in the "mackerel" colors. There are people here who go "ooh, ahh" over the Icicle bodies, or the Pastels. But for me, those just aren't as attractive.

The more important issue, of course, is the nibs -- the more "exotic" nibs are going to be a lot more expensive -- even just as individual nib units. But you know, my first Estie was a black SJ I found in an antiques mall a few years ago, and it had a 1555 (student grade without any tipping) Gregg Shorthand nib on it -- and for a nib that was the tines folded over to make the point, it wasn't a bad writer. But the nice thing is that they're interchangeable between pens -- I don't have any of the later models, like the Safari, but my understanding is that you can use the same nib units, plus you can also fit Venus and Osmiroid nib units in them.

Oh, fair warning -- vintage Esties are like potato chips! You can't have just one. I'm waiting for yet another one in the mail that I won on eBay last week (which will make my 16th -- 17th if you count the red J I'm going to give my husband once it's re-sacced). But it's been driving me crazy because the pen has been in and out of our regional sort facility a couple of times now; seriously -- it got there on Friday about 2 AM, left there around 6 AM; then went BACK 12 hours later. Then they apparently lost it for 24 hours. Oh, no wait -- the place has two *different* zip codes.... :o Say WHAAAA? IS this a case of "We're the USPS, we can do whatever?" :angry: The zip code map shows the same area for both zip codes (and doesn't show the second one at all, except apparently the same area as the first.... :gaah: I WANT MY PEN! :crybaby:

(Sorry, it's been a long stressful day and I've been mostly using Uniball pens and Crayola markers for the past couple of days -- long story -- instead of fountain pens and watching this evening's football game has just been... weird; starting of course in that it got moved to prime time because of the impending ice storm in Kansas City.... :huh: Four and a half minutes to go, 14 minutes on the DVR timer. and it's just getting more interesting than my husband would like....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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corgicoupe Collectors Item

corgicoupe

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Anderson is good for nibs, but don't seem to have a selection of Js at the present time. Suggestion: Google MidnightPens etsy for a selection at a fair price. (No connection, just a customer.)

Baptiste knew how to make a short job long

For love of it. And yet not waste time either.

Robert Frost

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gweimer1 Antique

gweimer1

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Anderson is good for nibs, but don't seem to have a selection of Js at the present time. Suggestion: Google MidnightPens etsy for a selection at a fair price. (No connection, just a customer.)

Ears perking up...thanks for the recommendation. I will echo that the full-size J with a 9668 medium nib is a really good starting point, and probably shows Esterbrook in one of its best combinations. That's pretty much where I started, and have gone much deeper since then. I still have much to learn and acquire, but Esterbrooks are truly wonderful pens that are affordable enough to keep a few handy.

Esterbrooks are much kinder than pocket watches (I have a few), since they are durable, tend to always work, and aren't rendered helpless by that silly magnetism stuff. B)

 

You're welcome to visit my shop - https://www.etsy.com/shop/MidnightPens?ref=hdr_shop_menu

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Searcher1970 Dipped Only

Searcher1970

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Ears perking up...thanks for the recommendation. I will echo that the full-size J with a 9668 medium nib is a really good starting point, and probably shows Esterbrook in one of its best combinations. That's pretty much where I started, and have gone much deeper since then. I still have much to learn and acquire, but Esterbrooks are truly wonderful pens that are affordable enough to keep a few handy.

Esterbrooks are much kinder than pocket watches (I have a few), since they are durable, tend to always work, and aren't rendered helpless by that silly magnetism stuff. B)

 

You're welcome to visit my shop - https://www.etsy.com/shop/MidnightPens?ref=hdr_shop_menu

 

 

 

I was surfing your Etsy shop just last night. There were a few pens that caught my eye. Those dawn gray J and SJ's are very nice. Hopefully one of them will still be available when I get paid in a couple weeks :)

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gweimer1 Antique

gweimer1

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Ears perking up...thanks for the recommendation. I will echo that the full-size J with a 9668 medium nib is a really good starting point, and probably shows Esterbrook in one of its best combinations. That's pretty much where I started, and have gone much deeper since then. I still have much to learn and acquire, but Esterbrooks are truly wonderful pens that are affordable enough to keep a few handy.

Esterbrooks are much kinder than pocket watches (I have a few), since they are durable, tend to always work, and aren't rendered helpless by that silly magnetism stuff. B)

 

You're welcome to visit my shop - https://www.etsy.com/shop/MidnightPens?ref=hdr_shop_menu

 

 

 

I was surfing your Etsy shop just last night. There were a few pens that caught my eye. Those dawn gray J and SJ's are very nice. Hopefully one of them will still be available when I get paid in a couple weeks :)

 

 

I've got a few more pens to list, and a few more to prepare. I'll make sure I have a J with a 9668 nib on it listed soon.

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Hobiwan Vintage

Hobiwan

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Will the 9668 nib work well with normal notebook paper?

 

Short answer, yes. But in some cases today, it may depend on the ink. Back in the day ('50s), there was good ol' Scrip and other general "writing" inks, and the Estie nibs and those inks worked great on most ALL notebook and writing tablet paper, high-grade and cheap. I use my pen today, with Private Reserve Copper Burst and Waterman inks on the cheapest lined and plain paper I can find, and have no complaints....

Best Regards
Paul

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
– Albert Einstein

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gweimer1 Antique

gweimer1

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If this is your first fountain pen, then you will also find that how you write changes. The beauty of a fountain pen is that they do more of the work than your hand. You are only there to guide the pen, not push it or plow across the page. I'm not a big ink person, and I still pretty much to just Waterman ink, or Diamine.

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Brian Anderson Collectors Item

Brian Anderson

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Anderson is good for nibs, but don't seem to have a selection of Js at the present time. Suggestion: Google MidnightPens etsy for a selection at a fair price. (No connection, just a customer.)

 

Well, the problem is when I put them up, they usually sell out within a week, keep an eye out for them. :)

www.esterbrook.net All Esterbrook, All the Time.
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gweimer1 Antique

gweimer1

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Well, the problem is when I put them up, they usually sell out within a week, keep an eye out for them. :)

 

Don't I know it! I think I spend as much time hunting for, and gathering, nibs as I do pens.

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pajaro Museum Piece

pajaro

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One advantage to an Esterbrook is that, with all the available information, you can fairly easily resac one of these J series pens and learn a lot about fountain pens from the experience. When you see how they work you can become more confident in using them.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

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The black pen with the 9556 nib came today, and it turns out to be a full size J. And the sac appears, at first test of the lever, to be not completely ossified.... :thumbup:

So one more potato chip er, Esterbrook pen and a one more nib size crossed off the list of "Need to get." B)

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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corgicoupe Collectors Item

corgicoupe

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Don't I know it!  I think I spend as much time hunting for, and gathering, nibs as I do pens.

Mid-western hunter gatherer? ;-)

Baptiste knew how to make a short job long

For love of it. And yet not waste time either.

Robert Frost

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

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Well I managed to snag a gray Esterbrook with a new ink sac for $12.50 :D I'm a happy camper!

 

Good going! What size is it (J, LJ, or SJ) -- or is it a later model pen?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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